All programs are fall admission only. Prospective graduate students submit their application materials to the Graduate School (not the HDF Department). The Graduate School requires a 3.0 undergraduate GPA for full admission into UNCG graduate programs. A completed application includes: *the online application and $60 application fee *three references (preferably at least two from academic faculty professors) *official GRE scores *one copy of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended (Note: If one transcript shows transfer credit from another institution, you do not need to provide a transcript from the original institution). You will apply online and request your references from your chosen recommenders through the online system, but at this time GRE scores and transcripts are still sent via paper copies.

*The HDFS Department also requires a 1-3 page professional statement, which may be submitted directly to the HDFS department (hdfs@uncg.edu) or to the Graduate School. The professional statement is a chance for the applicant to explain their reasons for pursuing graduate study in this field, previous experience and training in this or related fields, and their professional goals. Students applying for admission to the M.S. program, the MS/Ph.D program, or the Ph.D program should also indicate their primary areas of research interest and the faculty members you are most interested in studying with and working with.

The HDFS Department encourages students to submit the online application form even if they do not yet have the other application materials. This can speed up the application process.

For score reporting, UNCG’s institution code is 5913. There is no HDFS Dept code, so you may list the department code for ” other,” which is 5199. No GRE Subject test is required for admission into the HDFS Department. Ph.D applicants are encouraged to include a resume and writing sample with their application materials.

The Graduate Secretary can also arrange for you to speak with a current faculty member or graduate student about the program or about your interests, either over the phone or during Admitted Student Visiting Days in the spring. Please call Jennifer Klaiber, the graduate secretary at (336) 334-5315 or email j_klaibe@uncg.edu for more information.

Or you may write to:

Department of Human Development and Family Studies
PO Box 26170
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina 27402-6170

(336)334-5307; FAX (336)334-5076

3. When should I hear about my admission status? How does the admission process work? ↑

Once all required materials have been received in the Graduate School, the complete application is made visible in the online system to the HDFS Department. The application is reviewed by a committee of HDFS faculty and by the department’s Director of Graduate Studies. If the student is admitted, a preliminary advisor is assigned at that time. The student is then sent an email from the HDFS Department notifying him or her of the department’s recommendation to the Graduate School. If the student has been admitted, he or she should expect to receive an official emailed admission letter from the Graduate School within 2-3 business days of the departmental letter. The entire admissions process may take a couple of months from the time the complete application is submitted. Since an application does not begin to be reviewed until it is complete, students wishing to expedite the processing of their application should make sure to submit all required materials, including the professional statement, well in advance of the application deadline. The two items we are most commonly waiting on before we can begin reviewing an application are GRE scores and international transcript evaluations, so submit these as much in advance as possible.

The Department attempts to provide support for all eligible M.S. thesis and Ph.D students. Typically, departmental financial support is limited to two years for Master’s only students, three years for Ph.D. only students, and five years for M.S./Ph.D. track students from the semester the student first enrolls in the program of study. The support is intended to (a) assist you in meeting the expenses of graduate study without having to find employment outside of the University, and (b) provide assistance to faculty in meeting their research and teaching responsibilities. Most support comes from departmental Research Assistantships, but other sources of support are available.

Departmental Assistantships. Initial offers of support are made to the best qualified applicants to the graduate program at the same time, or shortly after, an offer of admission is extended. If you are not offered support at the time of admission, you may be offered support later, as it becomes available. In addition to an assistantship, out-of-state students may be granted an out-of-state tuition waiver (or money in lieu of the waiver) which pays the out-of-state portion of tuition costs only. Tuition waivers are in limited supply. If you are NOT already a North Carolina resident, we urge you to seek residency as soon as possible so as to reduce the demand on the limited number of tuition waivers available. Please note that if you are granted an out of state tuition waiver ONLY, you will still be responsible for paying in-state tuition. The out of state tuition waiver covers the difference between in state and out of state tuition. Tuition waivers do not cover fees; therefore, students are still responsible for paying fees. If you are granted an assistantship or tuition waiver, you must fulfill all student immunization requirements before August 1st in order to be credited your financial aid.

Fellowships and Scholarships: In addition to Departmental assistantships (which have a service requirement), UNCG has non-service fellowships and scholarships that are awarded by the Graduate School to exceptionally qualified students who meet the particular requirements of the award. Included among these awards are Greensboro Scholar Awards, Excellence Fund Fellowships, Charles A. Hayes Fellowships, and Adelaide Fortune Holderness Fellowships. Students who have been granted non-service university fellowships are able to select an HDFS faculty member of their choice to work with, and do not have the required service responsibilities that Research Assistants have. However, the Department believes that, if fellowship students are to progress most successfully through their graduate programs, they also should align themselves closely with the research program(s) of one or more HDFS faculty members. This should be accomplished by meeting with your selected faculty member at the beginning of each Fall semester to contract a mutually agreeable plan of collaborative participation for the year.

5. When do you offer courses?/Can I look up current course offerings? ↑

Most of our graduate programs are designed for full time students, and therefore, most classes are offered during the day on weekdays. Our online program classes typically take place once per week from 4-7pm.

Applicants are encouraged to visit UNCG’s online course search to see when HDFS classes have been offered in the past few semesters and in the upcoming semester. Class offerings do vary from semester to semester — we do not guarantee that the same classes will be offered every semester, or that classes will be offered at the same time every semester. However, the online course search helps to give a general idea of HDFS classes offered. Some faculty members also have course syllabi and other information on their courses on their faculty web pages. For questions about when a specific class will be offered, please contact Mark Fine (mafine@uncg.edu) HDFS Department Chair.

6. Do you offer online courses?

Our MS and Ph.D programs are designed for traditional delivery with students meeting face-to-face with a professor on UNCG’s Greensboro campus. Our three graduate programs in B-K are all online. This includes the BK:ISED/M.Ed graduate program, the Leadership in Early Care and Education Certificate (LECE), and our graduate certificate in B-K Licensure.

Although students vary in how long they actually take, course offerings and programs are designed so that full-time students can complete their degrees in the following time spans:
M.S. thesis: 2 years
MEd: 2 years plus any prerequisite courses
Phd: 1-3 years after Masters degree, plus any prerequisite courses
Certificate Program: 1.5 years

In the spring we host a Campus Interview Day for MS and Ph.D program applicants. Select applicants will be invited to visit campus for an interview day, after which final admissions decisions will be made. Please contact the Graduate Secretary for more information.

9. For the M.Ed with an emphasis in Program Administration, what if my GPA is below 3.0? ↑

If your GPA falls below the 3.0 level then you have the option of taking a graduate level course as a visiting student and then applying for the program. We recommend that students take SES 605 this summer (starting May 15th through June 18th) and then apply for the program by July 1st. Students are not guaranteed admission to the program (a full application review along with the interview and short writing sample will still be required) but they will be considered as eligible applicants if they earn a B or better in SES 605. Please note that TEACH scholarships will not be available to visiting students but this course may be reimbursed if students are accepted for all admission. The CCSA should be contacted about potential reimbursement for this tuition cost. Visiting students must apply through UNCG’s Division of Continual Learning program for summer.